Carmel Robinson

Police have issued photos of the drugs paraphernalia and debris left by a gang of 200 youths in Lurgan at the weekend.

The PSNI dispersed the crowd of youngsters in Lurgan town centre, with a number of drunk children taken home to their parents by officers.

The aftermath of the scene at Castle Lane Lurgan after a gang of 200 youths were dispersed by police

Shocking scenes of huge numbers of young children taking alcohol greeted shoppers in the Castle Lane area on Saturday afternoon.

An 18-year-old man was arrested for disorderly behaviour and possession of Class B drugs. He was later released pending a report to the Public Prosecution Service.

Police warned parents to check where their children are, warning them of the ‘oldest trick in the book’ used by kids claiming they were sleeping at a friend’s house.

A PSNI spokesperson said: “The parents of a number of people were contacted and collected their children and some were brought home.”

Plastic bottles used to take drugs strewn across Castle Lane after police swoop on gang of 200 youngsters

Superintendent Davy Moore said: “We do not want to see any young person gain a criminal record and it can be easy to get caught up in situations beyond your control. Fortunately in this incident, we were able to disperse the crowd and ensure that people got home safely.

“It was clear that a number of teenagers were under the influence of alcohol and this is against the law. I would ask parents to speak to their children and explain that becoming involved in antisocial behaviour which includes underage drinking, disorderly behaviour and criminal damage could result in a criminal conviction. A conviction can affect your travel, education and employment prospects.”